I’ve always known that joy is greater than happiness. While both are good and wonderful, there are a few things about joy that make it impossible for happiness to beat. In a wrestling match between the two, there’s no question in my mind that happiness would be pinned and lose pretty quickly.
Last Sunday, I returned home from a church retreat and opted out of attending the church service last Sunday night. I assumed the service was skippable because I had dedicated an entire weekend to the Lord 🙂 ~ It really doesn’t work like that, but I admit I was being lazy and tired and making up excuses.
I heard, throughout the week, that the service was about joy and that it was one I would have loved. I knew that God had done that on purpose, and had made the service one I’d be really upset to have missed! Luckily, I was able to watch it online, and tonight before bed I did just that.
Almost every sentence I was taking vigorous notes (I’ve always been a note taker), nodding my head in a agreement and making comments like, “Yes, totally,” and “Uh, huh, yep,” while staring at the little man speaking to me through my computer screen.
It was like he was talking just to me, a simple conversation between the two of us about how we felt about joy.
I am going to share the many things that stuck out to me in this message:
1. Joyous poeple are thankful poeple. ~ How grateful are you? What do you have to be thankful for? Odds are that you have many things in your life to be thankful for. People who love you. An education. A paying job. A best friend. A gift or a talent. A favorite song. A great view. Breath. Life. A great God.
2. Joy is only possible when persued with God. ~ Jesus came to bring us joy… if you don’t believe me, it says so in the Bible. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. – John 15:11
3. The greatest way to cultivate joy is to see the little joys in everyday. ~ I am such a small victories person! I believe in loving the small things. Waking up to sunishine. A nice glass of orange juice. A drizzle of rain. A Twins win 🙂 A smile from a friend. A hug from my parents. A Diet Dr. Pepper. A good tip from an old person (haha). There are so many things that can bring joy, you just have to start to take note of them.
4. It is easier to find joy when you spend time with joyful poeple. ~ There is something about joyful people that just brings light into life. They walk into the room and you feel better. They don’t have to say a word and you know their mood. The energy from these people is contagious. On the contrary, joyless poeple can drain the energy in a room. It is important to find a balance. Love the joyless but don’t let them bring you down. Surround yourself with poeple who bring something to your life, not take away from it.
5. Joyful poeple try to always give more than they take. ~ I know it is cliche, but it’s true. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out. Joyful poeple know this and they take advantage of it. I am such a believer that the more you put into relationships, friendships, work, projects, school, people, you will reep the benefits. Sometimes it takes time, but rewards will come in different ways 🙂
6. It is important to find joy in your work. ~ I loved this part of the message because it was all about how God loves His work. He takes joy in creation, ever since the beginning. He created everything for the benefit of those He loves, US! Whom He also created! But then, He rested. It is important to find a balance between work and rest. Someone once told me that you should work in order to live, not live in order to work and I completely agree! Spend time outside of work doing things that bring you joy. But, always find joy in your work week, you are incredibly blessed to have a job.
7. Choose to be joyful. ~ Wake up everyday with the desire to be joyful. It will change your life completely.
The difference between joy and happiness is the longevity. Happy is a mood- you are in a happy mood or you’re in a bad mood. You are happy for today and not happy for tomorrow. Happiness is conditional depending on circumstance. It comes and goes as it pleases. It’s apparent when it’s there and its apparent when it’s not. To be happy is wonderful but its not consistent.
Joy is a gift. It’s attainable and maintainable. It’s a feeling of contentment that’s deep rooted in your soul. It does not come from an event, a win, a holiday or fun. According to the message, its a quiet contentment and an inner security. It is what causes your heart to smile. It is the affect of knowing that there is an unchanging, incredible God that wants only the best for you in life. Joy is the ability to stay positive even when the odds are against you. While the amount of joy you experience may change with circumstance, joy doesn’t leave you unless you leave it.
Joy is greater than happiness. So if you are happy, I’m happy. But if you’re joyous, I’m elated, because you deserve to have joy in your life. Remember to wake up and appreciate the little things, surround yourself with those who enhance your daily life, and choose to be joyful no matter the circumstance. You’ll be JOYFUL that you did 🙂
*If you are interested in watching the message on Cultivating Joy, a part of the How the Build a Great Life series at Eagle Brook Church, you can watch the message online at http://eaglebrookchurch.org/media_player.asp?type=large&messageID=59242
My Freshman Year of Life 